Distillation

Aim: To separate a solute from a solvent in a solution using distillation.

Method: 

1. Set up the equipment as shown in the diagram.
2. Add approximately 50ml of water (coke) and a few drops of food colouring to your conical flask.
3. Light your Bunsen burner. Open the air hole and gently push the Bunsen burner under the tripod.
4. Heat the solution until most of the solvent has been evaporated. Turn off your Bunsen burner.

Results:

The coke was bubbly since it was boiling and there were drops of water in the test tube that were merging together to form a puddle at the bottom.

Discussion:

We lit the Bunsen burner and left it under the coke. The coke boiled a bit and it evaporated into steam which then went through the delivery tube and into the beaker. There were ice surrounding the beaker so the steam condensing into water again. Although we ran out of time, if we were to leave it for long enough we would have been left with the sugar solute from the coke. The coke by itself was the solution and the solvent was the water that went through the tube. This whole process is called distillation.